NEW DELHI: Nitish Kumar Reddy rescued India with a maiden Test hundred against Australia in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.
The hundred by Nitish at No. 8 came when India needed someone to stay at the crease.
Having made his debut in the Perth Test, Reddy had scores of 41, 38*, 42, 42 and 16 heading into the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Reddy arrived at the crease at the dismissal of Rishabh Pant with India at 191/6 with the follow-on threat still looming large on Day 3 of the fourth Test on Saturday.
But Reddy showed remarkable application and temperament to put up a 127-run stand with Washington Sundar for the eighth wicket enroute his maiden Test hundred.
The Reddy-Sundar partnership is the second highest 8th wicket stand for India in Australia.
Reddy got to the mark with a boundary off Scot Boland with India nine down, with 354 runs on the board trailing Australia (474) by 120 runs.
Reddy also became the third youngest Indian to score maiden Test century in Australia.
Youngest at the time of maiden Test century for India in Australia
18y 256d Sachin Tendulkar Sydney 199221y 92d Rishabh Pant Sydney 201921y 216d Nitish Reddy Melbourne 202422y 46d Dattu Phadkar Adelaide 1948
Only Abul Hasan (20y 108d) and Ajay Ratra (20y 150d) have scored centuries batting at No. 8 or lower are younger than Reddy.
India were 358/9 when play was called off early due to rain on Day 3.
